Candidates and Constituency Assessments

'It is clear there is a requirement to retain the post of secretary of state but that it is a much reduced role. There is no doubt that recent holders of the post have been more like a spokesman for the Labour Party rather than a spokesman for Scotland.' Sir Malcolm Rifkind, 5 th March 2001.

Glasgow South

Candidates

	Labour	Tom Harris MP
	Scottish National Party	Finlay MacLean
	Conservative & Unionist	Dr. Janette McAlpine
	Liberal Democrat	Arthur Sanderson MBE
	Scottish Socialist Party	Ronnie Stevenson
	Scottish Green Party	Kay Allan
	Socialist Labour Party	Dorothy Entwistle

Candidates

The Labour candidate is Tom Harris, who is currently MP for Glasgow Cathcarth. He was born in Irvine in 1964 and educated at Greenock Academy, and Glasgow and Napier Colleges. He worked as a reporter for the East Kilbride News and the Paisley Daily Express before being appointed Scottish Labour Press Officer. He has also worked in PR roles for Strathclyde Regional Council, Glasgow City Council, and East Ayrshire Council. He was elected as MP for Glasgow Cathcart in 2001 after the retiral of John Maxton. Harris is an opponent of proportional representation and of the Euro.

The SNP candidate is Finlay MacLean. Finlay was brought up in Cardonald and educated at Bellahouston Academy. An SNP member and activist for many years he was Convener of Rutherglen Constituency Association before moving to Kilmarnock. Having first worked as an accountant/office manager Finlay moved into teaching and then in 1993 set up his own Garden Centre business in Ayrshire. In 1999 he was elected to East Ayrshire Council and served a four year term during which he was Education Spokesperson for the SNP Council Group. Married to Lilian, with an adult son and daughter, Finlay enjoys hillwalking and gardening.

Tory candidate, Dr. Janette McAlpine, is a Knowledge Transfer Manager at Glasgow Caledonian University having graduated with degrees from the Universities of Paisley and Strathclyde. was the election agent for the recent European Campaign in Glasgow. The Administrative Director of the Glasgow Junior Chamber of Commerce Jeanette has wide outside interests, including being a founder member of the Scottish Computer Headline's Women in IT initiative (to raise the profile of women in IT) and she plays golf regularly. Dr McAlpine contested Glasgow Baillieston at the 2003 Scottish Parliamentary elections, coming fourth with 8.1 % of the vote.

Lib Dem candidate, Arthur Sanderson, was born in 1943 and educated at Glasgow Academy, Fettes College in Edinburgh, Oxford University, where he studied Classics, Philosophy, Politics & Economics, Edinburgh University where he graduated with a Dip Education, and Henley Management College wher he graduated with a Dip Management. A fluent Portuguese speaker, he has worked as an English and maths teacher for VSO in Ghana, as a Economics teacher at daniel Stewarts College, and as a Director for the British Council's Overseas Career Service. His interests include Transport & Planning; the Arts, especially in Glasgow, choral singing, hill-walking and languages. Arthur Sanderson was selected as Liberal PPC for Edinburgh North in 1971, but was replaced by R.H. Gould, who polled 18.4 %, in the by-election in September 1973, which was caused by the death of the 8 th Duke of Buccleuch & 10 th Duke Queensberry and the accession of the Earl of Dalkeith, Conservative MP for Edinburgh North, to the title. At the 2003 Scottish parliamentary elections, he contested Glasgow Maryhill, coming fourth with 9.8 %, and was sixth on the Lib Dems Glasgow regional list.

The SSP candidate is Ronnie Stevenson who has lived in the constituency for 26 years. He has stood for election in the area several times and knows the local services well, having used them for his three children. Ronnie is a children and familiesÕ social worker in the East End and is the Unison shop stewardsÕ convenor for over 4000 social work services members. He is committed to the fight to save public sector workersÕ pension rights. He also coaches athletics and is campaigning to improve GlasgowÕs athletic provision.

The Scottish Green Party candidate is Kay Allan who is a grandmother who has lived in Cathcart for 41 years. She has been a member of the Green Party for 18 years and has stood as a candidate at all levels of elections. She worked as a legal secretary then gained a degree in Social Sciences as a mature student. She has worked voluntarily on the Children's Panel, as a visitor with Victim Support and currently with Adult Literacy.

The Socialist Labour Party candidate is Dorothy Entwistle.

Notional 2001 result

Logo	Party	Denver			Baxter
		Votes	%		Votes	%
	Labour	19,853	50.49 %		19,277	51.30 %
	Scottish National Party	6,811	17.31 %		6,364	16.93 %
	Conservative & Unionist	5,414	13.76 %		5,273	14.03 %
	Liberal Democrat	4,884	12.41 %		4,347	11.64 %
	Scottish Socialist Party	2,298	5.84 %		2,234	5.94 %
	Others	83	0.21 %		58	0.15 %
Notional Labour win	Notional Labour majority	13,042	33.15 %		12,913	34.36 %

Local Government wards in the constituency

This consists of the whole of the old Glasgow Cathcart seat including King's Park which was partly in the old Glasgow Rutherglen seat. It includes Maxwell Park, Langside and Pollokshaws from the old Glasgow Govan seat.